Gary Oldman's 10 Greatest Movie Performances - Ranked
8. Bram Stoker's Dracula - Count Dracula
Gary Oldman had a couple of key aces up his sleeve when acting in Francis Ford Coppola’s high camp horror, Bram Stoker's Dracula. First, an impeccable costume department giving him an instantly iconic look, and secondly, a scene partner in badly miscast Keanu Reeves against whom he couldn’t help but shine.
Even without a floundering Reeves to make him look great by comparison, Oldman’s performance as the Prince of Darkness would be one of the most ludicrously enjoyable in modern cinema. Oldman’s having so much fun he barely touches the ground, gliding through the film seductively among his victims and his many brides.
This is a strange and sensual adaptation of the classic story, and Oldman’s theatrical instincts help bring it to life. Subtlety has never been a watchword for Coppola, and he goes full throttle here, with Oldman simultaneously offering an anchoring touch of class and a livewire touch of lunacy.
An oft-underrated film, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is superb fun, not to be taken entirely silly but to be enjoyed as a demonstration of early ‘90s excess, with Oldman at the fore.